Bc my thought is to use a johnson control system like you use on fridge for temp control to control a 120 volt gas selnoid valve. The control would power the valve to modulate the gas on and off to a burner to adjust temp. when mashing.

Well I took my first reading of the batch made on the new equipment the OG was 1.076 and the final was 1.034 should have been 1.012-1.018. So I missed my target I think I was on the hot side. I sampled it and it was a little thick but tasty.

I calibrated my equipment before i started both of my thermometers and brewmometer are the same.

I also have a false bottom as well in my brew kettle.

I infuse the first step which was like (i am estimating i don't have my recipe in front of me) 4.25 gallons of 169 degree water to 13.5 pounds of grain. I then stirred for a moment to get it mixed up then turned on my pump to recirculate.

After about ten minutes i would have to stop the pump (if i didn't stop the pump i would lose prime and fight that for a while) and stir to get the heat distributed more evenly.

So I brewed on thanks giving with my new set. It's a direct fired Boilermaker with a pump to recirculate during mashing.

The problem I was having I think were really bad hotspots. I would read the Brewmometer on the side and it would dip to 140 degrees on the dial the. I would put a thermometer in the mash and it would say 160.

When the Brewmometer would say 140 I would put the heat on and stir then in a couple of minutes I would bring it up to 152 my target temp.

Should I be stirring the mash almost all the time and if so should I be running the pump to recirculate while doing this?

I kind of wish I had your problem sometimes bc what limits my brewing is having cases full of beer and no room to put anymore and noone to consume it at times.

Another thing that get me going is having a friend ask me to make a beer that is like (fill in the blank) and I tell them I can make something to the style and they say go ahead. They only drink one and say it doesn't taste like (fill in the blank) and leave me with 5 gallons if their grand idea.